World leaders from nearly 200 countries have signed an important historic agreement to fight global climate change. The agreement came after two weeks of talks between the leaders at the 21st Conference in Paris, France.

As part of the Paris agreement, countries said they would cut down on pollution However, according to the terms of the deal, countries that don’t do this will not be punished, or fined. Instead,the document is meant to show that governments around the world take climate change seriously and are willing to work together to fight global warming.

World leaders have met many times to discuss climate change. But, the 21st Conference of Parties, or COP21, which began on November 30 in Paris, was the first time they agreed on a global, legal pact (协定).

Before the conference, each nation was asked to create plans on how to reach the shared goal. The pact that was signed allows countries to decide the best way to cut down their gas pollution. No matter how they decide to go green, each country must report honestly on all of their efforts. Every five years, nations must look at the work they’ve done and submit new plans on how they will improve over the next five years.

In the pact, the countries pledge(承诺)to limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted(排放) by human activity to the levels that trees,soil and oceans can absorb naturally. It urges countries to spend trillions of dollars on creating new energy sources, like solar and wind power. It also requires countries to raise at least $ 100 billion each year to help developing countries.

However, critics of the pact say it is not detailed enough, and doesn’t include specifics about how the plan will be enforced and how improvements will be measured. The pact does include one large, specific goal: how countries will aim to keep global temperatures from rising more than 3. 60℉(20℃) by 2100.

Nonetheless,the agreement is considered by many world leaders to be a major victory. The U. N. has been working more than two decades to convince governments to work together to reduce man-made emissions.

“History will remember this day,” U. N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said. “The Paris agreement on climate change is a monumental success for the planet and its people.”

1.When was the legal pact probably passed?

A. On November 30. B. On December 4.

C. On December 8. D. On December 12.

2.According to the agreement, countries_________ .

A. have to give a yearly report about their work

B. will be published if they fail to reduce pollution

C. are required to ensure investment in fighting pollution

D. should try to reach the agreed standard in five years

3.What is each country required to do before the Paris conference?

A. Provide a work plan. B. Give an oral explanation.

C. Provide a large amount of money. D. Give a written assessment.

4.The pact is thought to be imperfect because_______.

A. it doesn’t consider developing countries

B. it is not detailed enough

C. it is not attractive to all countries

D. it only benefits some countries

A new study finds that young females in one group of African chimps(黑猩猩) use sticks as dolls more than their male peers (同龄) do, often treating pieces of wood like a mother chimp caring for a baby. In human cultures around the world, girls play with dolls and pretend that the toys are babies far more than boys do.

Chimp observations, collected over 14 years of field work with the Kanyawara chimp community in Kibale National Park in Ugandan, provide the first evidence of a nonhuman animal in the wild that exhibits sex differences in how it plays. This finding supports an argument that biology as well as society underlies boys’ and girls’ different toy preferences.

Stick play occurred most commonly between ages 3 and 9. Females spent a lot more time carrying sticks than males did. Young male chimps occasionally used sticks to mimic(模仿) childcare. “Far more often, they fought with sticks, an infrequent behavior among females,” say Sonya Kahlenberg of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and Richard Wrangham of Harvard University.

“Biological differences between the sexes make female chimps more receptive to stick-mothering than males,” says Wrangham.

Consistent with reported cultural traditions among adult chimps, Kanyawara youngsters learned from each other to play with sticks as if caring for babies. Stick play among young chimps showed no evidence of being directly influenced by older chimps. Child-bearing females never played with sticks and thus didn’t model such behavior for younger chimps.

Young females carried sticks for anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. They often rested in nests with their sticks, sometimes playing with them much as chimp mothers play with their babies though they didn’t get any form of teaching from the adults.

1.What does a stick seem like to a young female chimp who plays with it?

A. A doll. B. A mother. C. A baby. D. A toy.

2.We can see from the text that young female chimps ________.

A. often carry sticks with males

B. always carry sticks with males

C. never use sticks in fighting

D. seldom use sticks in fighting

3.From whom do the young chimps pick up the stick play behavior?

A. From each other. B. From older chimps.

C. From their mothers. D. From male chimps.

4.What does the text mainly tell us about young chimps’ stick play?

A. The types of stick play and social influence.

B. The sex differences and social influence.

C. The sex differences and age differences.

D. The ways of stick play and age differences.

"Some secrets are hidden from health," wrote John Updike in his poem "Fever".

I have experienced the truth of Updike's observation. My excellent health kept me from seeing some things—things that became secrets of sort.

One relates to my son Chris. When I lost my health in March, I discovered something I had missed about him.

Christopher has been a scholar and athlete through high school. He has behaved responsibly, engaged in community service. He has had an impressive peer group of serious students.

While I saw these things, I had missed before what I experienced while in hospital. Early on, Christopher offered the clearest and most forceful words about my need to be positive and to fight acute leukemia(急性白血病). He never left the room after a visit without making me promise that I would be mentally tough and positive.

During the first week, he showed his own mental toughness, researching leukemia and learning what the chances were. He even stopped my doctor outside the room, introduced himself and asked directly what he thought of my chances. He processed the answer without overreaction.

Christopher did admonish(劝告) me against my choice of words the first week at home. I had moved back into my room from weighing myself, discovering a thin figure I did not know. I announced to him and my wife, “dead man walking”. I thought it was a way to lighten the obvious. He saw it as negativity and was strongly against such thinking and talking.

When I resisted taking medicine sometimes, Christopher formed a “good-cop-bad-cop” team with his mother. Betsy gently and patiently encouraged. He directly and forcefully insisted. He always made the logical arguments for why I needed to take some awful pills.

My health had hidden something from me; my ill-health helped me to see it.

1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 indicates that the author ________.

A. got to know more about his son while in hospital

B. knew little about his son until in hospital

C. had no chance of knowing more about his son

D. hardly remembers what happened in the hospital

2.What did Christopher do when the author was in hospital?

A. He told the author not to say anything wrong.

B. He offered some suggestions to the doctor.

C. He always encouraged the author to be confident.

D. He tried to get help from community service.

3.What does “good-cop-bad-cop” in the text refer to?

A. A trick to force the author to obey.

B. A measure to keep the author happy.

C. A friendly way to make the author see what was good for him.

D. A joint effort to persuade the author both kindly and forcefully.

4.What may be the best title for the text?

A. Lessons from Ill-health B. Unexpected Love

C. Secrets Hidden from Health D. Discovery Made in Hospital

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded for a novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping ‘Booker’.

Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted that they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee gives advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once.

Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender(性别) and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been decided, they are left to make their own decisions. Meanwhile, the prize sponsor has no further right to take part in any more.

The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the sales increase considerably, in addition to the£50,000 that comes with the prize.

1.Who can submit books to the prize?

A. Judges. B. Writers.

C. Readers. D. Sponsors.

2.Why is the prize named the Man Booker Prize?

A. Because the prize is given to writers from the Commonwealth.

B. Because the prize was known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’.

C. Because the prize is sponsored by the Man Group and they kept the name.

D. Because the prize is aimed to award the very best contemporary fiction.

3.Which task can be done by the Advisory Committee?

A. Changing the rules for the prize on their own.

B. Selecting the judging committee.

C. Making decisions on who is the winner.

D. Submitting books for consideration for the prize.

4.The consistent quality of the prizes is guaranteed by ________.

A. the prize money

B. the gender of the judges

C. the make-up of the panel of judges

D. the increase in sales of the winner

Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives, and not too long ago, I had one that I would like to ________. This story began with a _______ three years ago. It's a story of pizza and being _______of buying ice cream with a US $20 bill.

I was going to Marblehead, Massachusetts, with my racing team on the highway and we were all ______Luckily, we saw a rest area ______. I had a brand-new US $ 20 bill, and I had ______ had that kind of cash before. Spending it on food ______to me like throwing it away.

We all rushed into the pizza line.______ I got a cheese pizza and drink. Halfway through the _______, I realized I had not actually ________any money to the cashier. I felt terrible. I just couldn't go back to the cashier and ______my stolen pizza. I would feel embarrassed.

I was so upset that I refused to give myself the_______of an ice cream in fear that someone would say, "Hey, Jeff, why don't you _______ the change from the pizza instead of that nice, new US $20 bill?" I was not so proud of my _______ now.

For the next two years, whenever I was ______of the "Pizza incident," I _______my eyes and said to myself, "Not gonna think about it, not gonna think about it…"

I think this ______ the saying, "A coward (懦夫) dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies _______." I was a coward and have felt______ about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a "hero" and gone ______up to pay for the pizza, then I would have felt a little embarrassed about it only once, or maybe twice.

1.A. introduce B. perform C. share D. explain

2.A. game B. trip C. party D. race

3.A. afraid of B. fond of C. careless in D. eager for

4.A. late B. hungry C. lost D. slow

5.A. inside B. behind C. below D. ahead

6.A. even B. once C. never D. ever

7.A. proved B. showed C. turned D. seemed

8.A. Gradually B. Finally C. Usually D. Lately

9.A. meal B. journey C. talk D. job

10.A. returned B. offered C. handed D. supplied

11.A. give away B. give back C. ask for D. pay for

12.A. pleasure B. chance C. idea D. effort

13.A. find B. receive C. use D. return

14.A. cash B. pizza C. ice cream D. change

15.A. blamed B. warned C. told D. reminded

16.A. fixed B. closed C. raised D. wiped

17.A. brings B. concerns C. impresses D. reflects

18.A. more B. less C. one D. none

19.A. terrible B. puzzled C. nervous D. curious

20.A. away B. back C. near D. out

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

A short guide to surviving a post-election Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in the US is a celebration of the blessings of the previous year. This time it included one of the most divisive presidential campaigns. Even now it is over, the possibility of argument has not disappeared. Here we have some tips for you to survive this Thanksgiving.

●Cover up any signal of union

It might be fine to have your Hillary bumper sticker in New York, but it isn't going to go down well in Wyoming, where 70% voted Trump. Similarly, your "I love Trump" T-shirt will probably not be popular in California, where 62% voted Hillary.1.

●Practice your facial expression beforehand

They say a picture tells 1,000 words. Your face is the same. 2.You need to invest some energy in making sure your true feelings are completely buried. Ten minutes in front of the mirror should be enough to perfect your neutral face. 3.Well, we suggest closing them. Easy.

●Have a list of neutral topics for the dinner table

The weather is A favorite subject of the British. It is inoffensive, bland and can provide a good half-hour's chat, if done well. Everyone has an opinion on whether or not it is colder/hotter/wetter/windier than last year/10 years ago/when they were little. You can involve the whole family.4.With Clinton and Trump supporters largely split on whether climate change exists, it could inadvertently lead to politics. So it's maybe trickier for Americans than the weather-worn Brits. 5.After all, the rivalry between your American football team of choice and your cousin's may have a long and vitriolic history, but it is likely to be less poisonous than the current differences in your politics.

A. Sports may not be a neutral subject.

B. Biting your lip is simply not enough this holiday season.

C. There are hundreds of outstanding topics for Thanksgiving.

D. There is one slight downfall to this particular favorite.

E. Are you one of those people whose eyes always tell the truth?

F. So we advise leaving the T-shirt at home, and covering up the stickers.

G. It would be fine, if people of different opinions would not spend Thanksgiving together.

Finding the Real You

Psychometric testing — personality testing — has been very popular nowadays as studies show their results to be three times more accurate in predicting your job performance. These tests are now included in almost all graduate recruitment (招聘) and are widely used in the selection of managers.

The most popular of these personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is based on the theory that we are born with a tendency to one personality type which stays more or less fixed throughout life. You answer 88 questions and are then given your “type”, such as Outgoing or Quiet, Feeling or Thinking.

Critics of personality testing raise doubts about “social engineering”. Psychologist Dr. Colin Gill warns that the “popular” personality traits (特性) have their disadvantages. “People who are extremely open to new experiences can be butterflies, going from one idea to the next without mastering any of them.” However, the psychometric test is here to stay, which may be why a whole sub-industry on cheating personality tests has sprung up. “It’s possible to cheat,” admits Gill, “but having to pretend to be the person you are at work will be tiring and unhappy and probably short-lived.”

So can we change our personality? “Your basic personality is fixed by the time you’re 21,” says Gill, “but it can be affected by motivation and intelligence. If you didn’t have the personality type to be a doctor but desperately wanted to be one and were intelligent enough to master the skills, you could still go ahead. But trying to go too much against type for too long requires much energy and is actually to be suffered for long. I think it’s why we’re seeing this trend for downshifting — too many people trying to fit in to a type that they aren’t really suited for.”

Our interest in personality now exists in every part of our lives. If you ask an expert for advice on anything, you’ll probably be quizzed about your personality. But if personality tests have any value to us, perhaps it is to free us from the idea that all of us are full of potential, and remind us of what we are. As they say in one test when they ask for your age: pick the one you are, not the one you wish you were.

1.The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on the belief that __________.

A. personality is largely decided from birth

B. certain personality traits are common

C. some personality types are better than others

D. personality traits are various from time to time

2.According to Dr. Gill, what is the problem with personality tests?

A. The results could be opposite to what employers want.

B. People can easily lie about their true abilities.

C. Employers often find the results unclear.

D. They may have a negative effect on takers.

3.In Dr. Gill’s view, how easy is it to change your personality?

A. It’s possible in your adult life.

B. It’s easy if you have great motivation.

C. It’s unlikely because it requires much energy.

D. It’s difficult before the age of 21.

4.What final conclusion does the author reach about the value of personality tests?

A. They are of doubtful value to employers.

B. They are not really worth doing.

C. They can strengthen the idea we have of our abilities.

D. They may encourage greater realism.

For many people, being on the job might just sound like a picnic compared to a day at home filled with housework, meals and childcare. Even for those with a happy family life, home can sometimes feel more taxing than work.

In a new study, researchers at Penn State University found significantly and consistently lower levels of cortisol(皮质醇) released in response to stress, in a majority of subjects when they were at work compared to when they were at home. This was true for both men and women, and parents and people without children.

Both men and women showed less stress at work. But women were more likely to report feeling happier there. Men were more likely to feel happier at home. Experts say there are other reasons why work is less stressful than home for many. “Paid work is more valued in society,” says Sarah Damaske, the lead researcher on the study. “Household work is boring and not particularly rewarding.”

We get better at our job with time and the increased competence means less stress and more rewards. Yet none of us, no matter how long we’ve been doing it, ever truly feels like an expert at parenting or even at marriage.

The support and friendship of co-workers also offer stress relief. At home, meanwhile, stress spreads and accumulates quickly. “That’s the reason why most housewives wish they were the bread earners,” Dr. Damaske says.

Much of the advice to families and couples include the warning to “leave work stress at the office” and even to change our mind-set from work to home, for example, a walk around the block. The recent findings, though, suggest our home life, not our attitude, might be due for some change.

1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “taxing”?

A. stressful. B. cheerful. C. worthwhile. D. rewarding.

2.What did the research in the second paragraph prove?

A. Men felt better at home.

B. Women felt they had less time.

C. Women were easier to feel happier.

D. Most people felt more stress at home.

3.What do most people think of work at office?

A. It is competitive. B. It improves ability.

C. It can’t relieve stress. D. It doesn’t always pay off.

4.According to the recent findings, what should we change to solve the problem mentioned?

A. Our attitude. B. Our mind-set.

C. Our home life. D. Our working style.

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